Fifty Lashes
by dustyiness
Summary: Noble Li Syaoran has already captured the heart of lady Kinomoto Sakura, and wedding bells are about to ring. But a jealous king stands in the shadows and refuses them their happily ever after without giving Li Syaoran fifty lashes. OneShot.


**Fifty Lashes**

Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura.

Summary: Noble Li Syaoran has already captured the heart of lady Kinomoto Sakura, and wedding bells are about to ring. But a jealous king stands in the shadows and refuses them their happily ever without giving Li Syaoran fifty lashes. OneShot.

Note: This is the first time I'm actually posting something like this, but I hope people like it. It's different from my other two stories, I think. A weird little idea I came up with.

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The Story.

Li Syaoran, heir and noble of the Li Estates, walked down the dark corridor lit with flaming torches towards the King's hall, where everyone, including Sakura, was waiting for him. Behind him, following in a perfect, synchronized pair of lines were his loyal servants, walking with the uniform and the traits characteristic of a servant of a Li and not once objecting to the treatment that was about to be inflicted on him. As he walked down the hallway, maids of the castle that happened to still be working at such a time turned from their duties to whisper amongst themselves, astonished and amazed of the news and rumors surrounding his visit. Ignoring their reactions, Li Syaoran continued his way to his destination.

Once he reached the door to the great hall of the king's castle, he stopped, as did the servants behind him. Two guards stood at the doorway, each glancing at the Li noble before looking at each other, passing a message of realization and shock before opening the great doors to allow him entrance, each still looking bewildered at his presence. Syaoran walked in, giving the two guards a nod before passing.

Syaoran look a deep breath when he reached the inside. The king's great hall was filled with people, nobles of other lands of the kingdom, servants whom have been invited to observe what happened to those who took what the king wanted away, and sorcerers, mainly sorcerers to make sure he didn't step out of line before or after with his own magic. And at the head of the throne was King Alex and Kinomoto Sakura, lady and noble of the Kinomoto estate, love of his life. He trembled at the sight of her, remembering why he was here. He was here for her, no, for them.

Syaoran walked to the middle of the hall with his servants in tow and presented himself to the king, his eyes finding their way to gaze lovingly at Kinomoto Sakura, daughter of Lord Kinomoto Fujitaka, the daughter he had finally won the heart of months ago. The king, noting his gaze, flared in anger and roughly pulled the girl, who winced, closer.

Syaoran tore his gaze away and looked up at the king.

"So," King Alex said. "You actually came. Well, ready for them?" King Alex asked angrily, finding it infuriating that he was a step closer to taking her back.

Syaoran looked up at his love, the trembling emerald-eyed, auburn-haired girl of his dreams. His eyes softened as she looked back at him with fear her eyes, begging him not to. No, he wouldn't back down, not even if she begged.

"Yes," Syaoran's voice echoed through the hall, bringing the doom closer.

His servants bowed in unison just as a group of guards came to surround him. Syaoran, his eyes not once leaving his love, unbuttoned his robes and then the shirt underneath. Once having taken them off, he handed his clothes to the nearest guard while the others chained his arms to the ground and shackled a piece of metal to his waist. Syaoran bent his knees to kneel to the ground. Behind him, a shadowy figure stood ready to begin. Syaoran closed his eyes and grabbed onto the chains with his hands. And just as so for the first lash came biting into skin. Syaoran winced but kept silent and waited for the next one to come. One down, forty-nine more to go.

Beside the king, Sakura whimpered, seeing the love of her life whipped for her sake. She hated watching him put aside his honor and pride for her. He was a sorcerer and a warrior and a prideful one at that. To kneel on the ground and be whipped while wearing a magic restraint was a dent on his warrior and sorcerer pride. And yet, he still did it for her, so they could be together, putting aside his noble status as a Li for her.

Another lash came. The sound of the whip meeting Syaoran's skin caused the emerald-eyed beauty to burst into fresh tears. She clung to the king's hand and robes, silently begging him to stop the guard from tearing her heart apart, though keeping her pleas to herself. But at the tenth lash, she broke.

"Stop! Please stop it! Just forgive him, please!" she begged aloud, auburn-hair falling to her face as she pleaded, only to anger the king even more at her unspoken loyalty and love for the mere noble.

"Silence!" the king screamed, ignoring her pleas. "We said fifty lashes, and fifty lashes it will be!!"

Sakura cried, having no choice but to fall to the ground, crying her heart out as the king looked on with hatred as the guard delivered the seventeenth blow, furious that the noble was still conscious to this extent. But then, the noble had always been nobler, stronger, and more regal. Ladies were more attracted to him then to him, the king. Even as a growing noble in his court, he had been a fury, betting him in every sport and study, but to go as far as the take the lady of his dreams was far enough. But even now when he so deserved to, he didn't bow his head to him, the king! And each cry from the noble lady that had captured his attention for so long infuriated him even more.

"Harder!" he screamed when the lashes weren't enough to accommodate his anger. Syaoran's hands tightened around the chains and winced even more when the next lash came from the special whip already given to him. Down on the ground beside King Alex, Sakura cried even more, knowing there was nothing she could do about it, and feeling every ounce of the pain from the knowledge.

And the lashes continued. The guard having the honor of executing the king's orders mentally counted the number of lashes. _Twenty-eight... thirty-seven... fourty-one... _the guard counted. _...forty-nine..._

The king's eyes glazed.

_...fifty..._

Silence reigned in the hall as people waited with anticipation, some holding their breaths. Up at the throne, Sakura looked up at her love, tears still flowing down her beautiful face, fear still there, blended by another something else, hope.

Syaoran breathed as the last whip finished scalding his skin, carefully recollecting himself, taking a deep breath and letting it go, and then again until he had fully collected himself. When he was finally sure of himself, he slowly brought his face up, back into the eyes of his love.

At once, Sakura let out a cry and ran into her noble's arms, commotion and whispers of amazement ran through the hall, and a cry of fury was emitted from King Alex as he had no choice but to let Sakura run to him.

He had lasted. Through fifty lashes by a whip meant for the dragon's skin, he had lasted and stayed conscious to tell the story. Court noters took note, witnesses kept the memory in their heads in amazement, and the contract that the king had signed in his very court that stated that Noble Li Syaoran and Lady Kinomoto Sakura was to marry without opposition from the king should Li Syaoran handle fifty lashes by a whip of the king's choice and stay conscious throughout took effect.

The king could only watch in fury as the couple before him embraced each other for life, having no choice but to let them be, lest he went against his own word as king in front of his own court, and trembled in defeat.

Sakura cried in Syaoran's arms, and Syaoran, still breathing heavily from his ordeal and exploding with joy, wrapped his arms around her with a warm smile on his face, ready to take her hand in marriage.

To the side, friends and relatives of the couple cried and embraced each other in happiness.

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End file.
